Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion

Museopunks Episode 42: A #MuseumMeToo Moment

By Suse Anderson and Ed Rodley

Since the #MeToo movement began, many in the museum sector have wondered when members of our own community would be called to account. In this episode, the Punks are joined by Robin Pogrebin, Zachary Small and Anne-Marie Quigg to explore a …
The Transformative Power of Inclusive Storytelling in Museums

By Makeba Clay

My mentor Dr. Johnnetta Cole, the former director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art (NMAfA), often says, “It’s easy to live without art, but it’s hard to live well.” For me, the power of art lies in its transformative …
Making Space for Community Partners

By Ravon Ruffin

The 2019 AAM Annual Meeting was hosted in Louisiana—a state known for its rich culinary and musical traditions that attract droves of tourists. But another notable, though less touristy, aspect of Louisiana is that it has historically had …
Group Learning, Individual Work: An approach to DEAI

By Azuka MuMin

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to prepare my museum and the local communities for a science exhibition presenting race as a social construct. As we discussed the best way for our internal team to support visitors in the exhibit, we …
A Historic Textile Mill Inspires Creative Agers at Museum L-A

By Denise Scammon

In 2018, twenty organizations enrolled in a special museum cohort of Aroha Philanthropies’ Seeding Vitality Arts program. With funding from Aroha, and training provided by Lifetime Arts, these museums are developing high-quality, intensive …
What Kind of Ancestor Will You Be?

By Omar Eaton-Martínez

As Facing Change Senior Diversity Fellows, I and my associate fellows have been tasked with supporting museums as they address the lack of racial diversity in the governances of their institutions. In this journey, I’ve been reminded of a …
Programming Through the Lens of Empathy

By Lorena Bradford

At the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, two new public programs and one new high school tour are built on the premises that empathy is worth cultivating and listening to the perspectives of others is valuable.[1] These programs …
A Welcoming Week Celebration on the US-Mexico Border

By Ann Fortescue and Claudia Martinez

This fall, AAM partnered with Welcoming America to encourage museums to participate in its annual Welcoming Week, in which organizations around the country welcome new immigrants and refugees into their new communities. For one AAM member, …
Museum Pricing for Affordability and Profit

By Elizabeth Merritt

What does it cost to buy an airline ticket, book a rideshare service, or make a hotel reservation? Nowadays the answer to that question may vary minute-to-minute, as companies use data analysis and clever algorithms to calibrate their …
Dispelling Myths: Seven tips to build your museum partnership with the disability community

By Heather Irish and Christine Sonnabend

“We want our students to do more than just wipe tables,” said Lucas LaFaver, vocational coordinator at St. Coletta of Greater Washington, a DC-based charter school for students with intellectual disabilities. He’s passionate about creating …